San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-03-03
NO. IL.

'obbing him OF the earnings OF his hborf
Christ and His Apostles did not sanction
slavery when they commanded slaves to
,bey and suffer for Christs sake. They
lid not seek to break down wicked institu-
ions by violence. but by the gentle law OF
love.
Their religion plainly told the slaye-hold-
or TO set his slaves free, in telling him to
love his neighbor. Christ's gospel did des-
troy slavery in Europe and will soon have
destroyed IL the world over II war has
ever been the means OF freeing the slave,
it was because God turned the madness Of
the slave.owner to his own discontinue.
Christ did not sanction slavery by his exam
pie, but he did 80 sanction the use of wine,
aud there Ia not word In his gospel that
can be construed into opposition 10 its .legit-
innate use.
The use of pure, mild stimulants is now
under the ban Of many because II leads Of
ten to the use of ardent spirits, AMI because
of the strength of Puritanical ideas. The
Puritan was great man for liberty-his
own--and was the worst of prosecutors.
He was great enemy Of Catholics, Quak-
ers, Baptists, Episcopalians mirth, amuse-
ment, roast-beef, plum-pudding, kissing OF
husbands and wives on Sunday, and-wine.
All over the continent of Europe Christians
use wine ~ they do bread and water. Luz
ther, the greatest reviyalist Of pure religion
since the Apostle Paul, was hearty drinker
of wine. The Pope of Rome, who dare
say Is one of the purest men and best Chris
tians in this world, uses wine habitually.
We would have no moral or political
grounds for prohibiting distilled liquors
and saloons If they were not abused, II they
could be properly used. We have to des-
~ tha
which grow out of their abuse, and which
act so destructively upon society.
III liauor- drinking could be confped to
temperate use, with the existence OF the
saloon and tho sale Of liquor, nobody
wonld give thought to prohibition.
The saloon and liquor-dlnking are wrong
lust so far as they nre made wrong by abuse.
IL il the inevitable abuse Uf them that
makes them evils. The prohibtionist
would not take liquor away from the tenn
perate but for the absolute necessity of do
ing so to keep il from the intemporate.
The great moral and SOCIAL evils of gam
bling, prostitution and intemperance will
never be entirely erndicated until the physi-
cal, mental, moral, and religious culture OF
all men and women rnises them above the
commission of crime and indulgence IN
vice,
These evils cannotsbe entirely prohibited
NV law. for the reasons that it is out of the
power of government to prevent all means
and opportunity for their commission ana
that there will always be some who VIII
practice them, regardless of all consequent
ces of human or divine law, to gratify de-
based, uncomfortable passions.
Some are restrained from the commission
of these evils-as of others-by the fear OF
God, some by fear of human authority-far
more by the want of means and opportun-
! ity, resulting from the enforcement of stat
utory law. Prohbitory laws do not prevent
crimes or evils of any description. They
merely restrain them.
| There will always be murderers ana
thieves, although laws against murder and
theft furnishing by death and imprisonment,
are enforced.
We would not, however, dream of abol-
ishing or not attempting to enforce those
laws. We provide the penalties and enforce
them. Evil, crime and Vice exist in direct
proportion to the average, physical, intel
lectual and moral or religious culture OF
community and 80 does the sentiment
which enacts and supports laws to restrain
and suppress them.
| There is not one crime, one vice, ona
harmful self-indulgence, that ID not IN PLAIN
conflict with the divine law, apparent to
reason in Nature, and repeated III heveia-
ton; and equally plain are the dreadful re-
suits to the eyil-doers and their most unfor-
tunate effects upon their neighbors, Their
moral and spiritual hideousness and their
destructive effects not only upon those VINO
commit them, but upon the innocent as
well, are most apparent to those who. pos.
sessing knowledge of nature and natural
principles, have had their spirits quickened,
their hearts touched, and their consclences
enlightened from above, through religious
faith.
The evil passions of men cause them to
disregard the restraints OF natural and re-
yealed, as well as human, laws, AMI to blind
their eyes to the certain consequences OF
their wickedness. Gambling, sexual onen
ces, aud intemperance are widely iooked
upon and treated as yenial offences, although
natural science plainly shows the horrors
they create here on earth. and the religion
of our Savior declares that they will be pun
ished hereafter.
Laws prohibiting social evils are neces-
sary To the welfare Of society, and can be
made effectual-that is to say, violations OF
them can be punished.
Every man who has proper sense OF
the consequences of gambling, sexual ofien-
ces and inteniperance, to both the guilty
and their innocent neighbors, will not only
try 10 keep himself unspotted from them,
but will labor with all his might to prevent
their commission by himself and others by
destroying all means and opportunity for
committing them He will be prohibi-
ZIONIST of sOme sort, he will labor earnestly
To create proper sentiments in the mini OF
others, and will Join in the movement that
seems most likely TO accomplish prohibition
of such dangerous evils.
Let us now discuss some Of the many
evil features Of hquor-drinking and the
liquor. traffic. The eminent naturalist, DIR.
Oswald. who, by the way is an inhcel,
speaking in behalf Of natunh science. de-
clares moderate drinking 10 be the begin
ming or early stage OF n surely growing
shame-proof disease, the alcohol-poison-
hlbit-destructive In proportion to force
and length of time indnlged in, to the body,
mind aud character Of the victim
All excess more or less debtsss the moral
sentiments. hariens the conscience, clouds
the iudgmert, paralyzss the viii. deadens
the sensibilities and inhames the destructive
PASSIONS. IL n a restraint upon desire for
the highest and best in life.
No uan ON accomplish his moral i'm
,,rovemeut as long as be cliDgs 70 hquor-
Of course the greater the care ane modrra-
tiou erercrsei IN drink the more moderate
all be it, evil elects. Bat csre and mod
er,tiop in such au insidiOus habit require .
ro.er Of ssif-restraini Of vhich most Peo-
pie are intaFabie-
Ts- moderate dinker Is almost sure 10
become an irnmoierafe one in time. He
inenrs the DR. a iful NIX of Temporary loss